Dundas’ Ross survives opening round of Men’s Amateur match play

MISSISSAUGA – Christopher Ross of Dundas, seeded 39th, defeated 26th seeded William Hutcheson of Richmond Hill in the opening round of match play at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship Tuesday.

Ross advanced to the second round with his 7&6 effort at the Mississaugua Golf and Country Club.

Meanwhile, his brother, sixth seeded Andrew Ross was eliminated after he lost 1-up to Winnipeg’s Matthew Johnston, the No.59 seed.

Also defeated on Tuesday was Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas. The 35-seed lost to Waterloo’s Mark Sommerfeld, seeded No. 30. Kevin Dore of Dundas, seeded No. 29 lost 3&2 to the No. 36 seed Ryan Lecuyer. It was a finish reminiscent of the 2003 Canadian Junior Boys Championship when Lecuyer edged out Dore by a single stroke to take home the title.

Top seeded Mark Leon continued to roll as the Brampton native topped Leon Carter of River Bourgeois, N.S. 4&2 to advance to the round of 32 at the 102nd playing of the Canadian Men’s Amateur, conducted by the Royal Canadian Golf Association.

Second-seed Kris Wasylowich of Lethbridge, Alta also cruised to an opening-round victory, knocking off American Jamie Miller 5&4.

Defending champion Richard Scott of Kingsville, Ont. looks to be settling into his match play grove as he tuned up for the round of 32 with a 1-UP victory over John-Henry MacDonald of Cherry Valley, Ont. One of this country’s finest match play competitors, Scott is looking to become only the sixth player to win three Earl Grey Cups.

In all, 29 Canadian competitors are still in the hunt to hoist the Earl Grey Cup. International players advancing include American Chris Kirk of Woodstock, Georgia, Josh Geary of New Zealand and Australian Ashley Hall.

In a battle between a pair of Quebec’s Willingdon Cup team members, National Amateur team member Kevin Fortin-Simard of Roberval, Que. continues to haunt Matthew McMahon of Brockville, Ont. The nightmare for McMahon continued Tuesday as Fortin-Simard cruised to a 6&5 victory. Earlier this summer, Fortin-Simard also edged out McMahon in a playoff to win the Quebec Men’s Amateur title.

Victoria native Craig Doell had an unfortunate bye into the second round of match play as his would-be competitor Marc-Étienne Bussières of Gatineau, QC was forced to withdraw from the championship after sustaining an injury in a car accident Monday night. Bussières was not seriously injured but was unable to compete.

Nick Taylor of Abbottsford, B.C. continues to ride the momentum of his walk away victory at last week’s Canadian Junior Boys Championship with a 4&3 victory over 2005 Amateur runner-up Marc Bourgeois of Dieppe, N.B. Fellow National Junior Team member Mitchell Fox of Okotoks, Alta. also advanced with a 2&1 victory over Greg Machtaler, Summerland, B.C.

In one of the days most intriguing matchups, Graham Hill of Bright’s Grove, Ont., got past Canadian Amateur legend Doug Roxburgh of Vancouver 5&4. Hill, a member of Canada’s National Amateur Team stood fast against the four-time Amateur champion and member of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame to advance to Wednesday’s second round.

Hill’s younger brother Matt, the 2005 Canadian Juvenile Champion who rolled all the way to the semi-finals of last year’s Men’s Amateur couldn’t repeat his feat, losing his opening-round match 2&1 to Dustin Wetherup of Oshawa.